1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for removing protection films from flash reflectors of flash devices, especially those of lens-fitted photo film units. The present invention also relates to an apparatus for the inventive method.
2. Background Arts
Many cameras and lens-fitted photo film units are provided with a flash device. The flash device in general consists of a flash discharge tube, a flash reflector for reflecting flash light from the flash discharge tube to project it toward a photographic subject, a protector plate placed in front of the flash discharge tube, and a flash circuit for causing the flash discharge tube to flash.
The flash reflector is made of a metal sheet, and has a mirror surface for effectively projecting the flash light toward the subject. The mirror surface is apt to get scratched, although scratches or stains on the mirror surface cause irregular reflection of the flash light, and lower the efficiency of flash light projection. Particularly in a manufacturing process of the lens-fitted photo film units, where the flash reflectors are made of a metal sheet by blanking and then transported to an assembly process, the possibility of damaging the mirror surfaces of the flash reflectors is very high during the transportation from the blanking process to the assembly process, as well as during the assembly.
In order to protect the mirror surface of the flash reflector from the scratches and dusts during the manufacturing of the lens-fitted photo film unit, the mirror surface of the metal sheet is covered with a protection film, e.g. a flexible resin film. The protection film remains being attached to the mirror surface while the metal sheet is blanked and formed into the flash reflector. The flash reflector with the projection film thereon is transported to the assembly process. The protection film is removed from the mirror surface immediately before the flash reflector is assembled into the flash device. Conventionally, the protection film is removed manually by use of a pair of forceps or tweezers or the like.
Manual removal of the protection film from the individual flash reflector is apparently time-consuming and labor intensive. It has been one of the most serious obstacle to production efficiency of the lens-fitted photo film unit. In addition, the mirror surface of the flash reflector can be damaged by the tool like the forceps on removing the protection film from the mirror surface.